Rate estimation in a wireless mesh network

ABSTRACT

Introduced here are techniques to provide automated mesh point survey and guided installation for assisting the installation and configuration of a wireless mesh network. Additional implementation techniques are also introduced including, for example, link rate estimation, roaming, and dedicated backhaul link implementation in such wireless mesh network, are also discussed. Among other benefits, this disclosure provides an integral solution where multiple wireless local area network (WLAN) mesh point devices are deployed in a relatively large environment with potential dead spots, such as a home or an office.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is entitled to the benefit of and the right of priorityto U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/253,540, entitled “METHODAND APPARATUS FOR WHOLE HOME WI-FI COVERAGE” (Attorney Docket No.110729-8045.US00), filed Nov. 10, 2015; and to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/336,503, entitled “DEDICATED BACKHAUL FOR WHOLE HOMECOVERAGE” (Attorney Docket No. 110729-8058.US00), filed May 13, 2016;all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser.No. ______, entitled “AUTOMATED MESH POINT SURVEY AND GUIDEDINSTALLATION FOR A WIRELESS MESH NETWORK” (Attorney Docket No.110729-8050.US01), filed Oct. 6, 2016; U.S. patent application Ser. No.______, entitled “ROAMING IN A WIRELESS MESH NETWORK” (Attorney DocketNo. 110729-8052.US01), filed Oct. 6, 2016; U.S. patent application Ser.No. ______, entitled “DEDICATED BACKHAUL LINK FOR A ROBUST WIRELESS MESHNETWORK” (Attorney Docket No. 110729-8053.US01), filed Oct. 6, 2016; andU.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/271,912, entitled “DEDICATEDBACKHAUL FOR WHOLE HOME COVERAGE” (Attorney Docket No.110729-8058.US01), filed Sep. 21, 2016; all of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entireties.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to electronic communications,and more specifically, to techniques for implementing a local areawireless mesh network.

BACKGROUND

In an indoor environment such as a large house or an office, a singleaccess point (AP) often may not be able to cover the entire indoor area.

One straightforward attempt to solve the problem is to increase thetransmission power. However, solely relying on increasing thetransmission power on the AP would be a poor solution. In addition toregulatory bodies that limit the transmission power of the AP, it istypical that the wireless local area network (WLAN) communications linkbetween an AP and a clients is highly asymmetrical, that is, theclient's transmission power is usually lower than the AP's transmissionpower. The client's antenna efficiency conventionally is also lower thanthe AP. Moreover, a portable client (e.g., a mobile phone) often is handheld by a user, and because of the signal absorption and disruption bythe human body, signals from such portable client may reach the AP ateven lower powers. Yet, many commonly used WLAN protocols require eachside of the link to receive an acknowledgement (ACK) for the packetsthat are transmitted (e.g., in a downlink direction). If one side of theWLAN link cannot receive from the other side of the link, no packet canbe transmitted to the other side of the link.

Instead of one AP with high transmission power and high performanceantennas, an attractive alternative is using a multitude of smaller APsthat are deployed in the environment in a scattered, distributed manner.These smaller APs form a wireless mesh network, and therefore are alsocalled “mesh points.” When a client device establishes connection withone of the mesh points, the mesh points can forward the traffic to themesh point that is connected to the gateway, which in turn communicatesthe traffic to the outside world (e.g., wide area network (WAN) and/or“the Internet”). However, there are also many challenges associated withimplementing these wireless mesh networks, especially in a homeenvironment where a layman user may be involved in installing andconfiguring these mesh points.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present embodiments are illustrated by way of example and are notintended to be limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1A is a representative wireless mesh network environment withinwhich some embodiments may be implemented.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of a computing device that may be used toimplement the techniques introduced here.

FIG. 2 is an example user interface illustrating a welcome pageoutlining the general functionalities of a mobile software applicationthat implements one or more techniques introduced here.

FIGS. 3A-3F are example user interfaces illustrating processes forassisting a user in installing the first, main mesh point in a wirelessmesh network.

FIGS. 4A-4C are example user interfaces illustrating introductoryprocesses for assisting a user in installing additional mesh points inthe wireless mesh network.

FIGS. 5A-5D are example user interfaces illustrating processes forassisting a user in finding weak reception spots (or “dead spots) forpotential locations to install additional mesh points.

FIGS. 6A-6E are example user interfaces illustrating furtherintroductory processes for assisting a user in installing additionalmesh points in the wireless mesh network.

FIGS. 7A-7E are example user interfaces illustrating guidinginstructions for assisting a user in installing additional mesh pointsin the wireless mesh network.

FIGS. 8A-8G are example user interfaces illustrating diagnosticprocesses of installed mesh points in the wireless mesh network.

FIG. 9 is an example user interface illustrating another diagnosticprocess for installed mesh points in the wireless mesh network.

FIG. 10 is an example user interface illustrating an optional processfor installing additional mesh points for bandwidth (e.g., as opposed tocoverage) in the wireless mesh network.

FIGS. 11A-11C are example user interfaces illustrating furtherdiagnostic and configuration processes of the wireless mesh network.

FIG. 12 is an example list of type of devices.

FIG. 13A is a table illustrating the upper, center, and lowerfrequencies of different Wireless LAN (WLAN) channels in a typical 2.4GHz frequency band.

FIG. 13B is a table illustrating example frequencies of differentWireless LAN (WLAN) channels available (e.g., in the United States) in atypical 5 GHz frequency band.

FIG. 14A-14C are different statistical data gathered for mapping theperformance of a particular type of device to the anticipatedperformance of an additional mesh point, if installed at the samelocation.

FIGS. 15A-15D are example tables of closest PHY rates that can be usedfor throughput estimation.

FIG. 16 is an example table for mapping between estimated link rate(throughput) and user instruction, for a mesh point operating in aparticular frequency band.

FIG. 17A is an example table for mapping between estimated link rate(throughput) and wireless network coverage.

FIG. 17B is an alternative example that implements a hysteresismechanism for mapping between estimated link rate and wireless networkcoverage.

FIGS. 18A-18B are a list of known user devices with their capabilitiesto follow or otherwise coordinate with the mesh network in performingintelligent roaming.

FIG. 19 illustrate an example diagram showing a backhaul linkestablished between two mesh points (e.g., in the mesh network).

FIGS. 20A-20C are example flow charts illustrating methods forperforming rate estimation, device characterization, and deviceclassification in a mesh network disclosed herein.

FIG. 21 is an example flow chart illustrating a method for performingroaming decision in a mesh network disclosed herein.

FIGS. 22A-22C are example flow charts illustrating methods forperforming switching and selection of dedicated backhaul in a meshnetwork disclosed herein.

Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout thefigures and specification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally speaking, as mentioned above, a better alternative to anaccess point (AP) with large transmission power is a wireless meshnetwork with a multitude of smaller APs, deployed in the environment ina scattered, distributed manner. These smaller APs (or mesh points) areoften marketed as so-called “range extenders” or “repeaters.” A rangeextender generally works by associating itself to a user's main AP andreceiving Internet connection from the main AP. Then, clients such asmobile phones, laptops and desktop computers, and smart devices canassociate to the range extender.

However, there are also many challenges associated with implementingwireless mesh networks with these range extenders, especially in a homeenvironment where a layman user may be involved in installing andconfiguring these devices. One common problem with the installationprocess involving layman users is that users may not be able to installthis mesh points in their best locations, for example, because the usersdo not know where to put each one of them to cover particular dead spots(i.e., locations with poor reception) in the house, how to find thesedead spots, and so forth. In addition, many conventional range extendersare designed separately (and much like an afterthought) from the mainAP, and therefore generally do not have much coordination with the mainAP. In many of these conventional settings, it is up to the connectionclient to decide what happens (e.g., what action or reaction to takewhen a certain type of issues takes place, such as poor reception) inthe wireless mesh network, which may adversely affect the efficiency andstability of such network. For example, roaming between the main AP andrepeater can be a common issue where the clients may be stuck inconnection with the main AP or a repeater mesh point and may not roam tothe mesh point that can provide the clients with the best throughput.All too often, roaming between multiple range extenders and the main APmay not function as designed, and different roaming methods may berequired for different types of clients. Other common issues includethat the extender may not use the best band(s) to connect to the rest ofthe mesh network, or that the extender may not use the best band toforward the traffic when extender is connected to two or more bands onthe main AP.

Introduced here, accordingly, are techniques to provide automated meshpoint survey and guided installation for assisting the installation andconfiguration of a wireless mesh network. Additional implementationtechniques are also introduced including, for example, rate estimation,roaming, and dedicated backhaul link implementation in such wirelessmesh network, are also discussed. Among other benefits, this disclosureprovides an integral solution where multiple wireless local area network(WLAN) mesh point devices are deployed in a relatively large environmentwith potential dead spots, such as a home or an office. As is introducedin more details below, one or more embodiments can aid the user ininstallation, can aid user to verify that installation is successful,and can aid user in upgrading an existing wireless mesh network. In someexamples, the multiple device wireless mesh network may have a networkcontrol system, which may be centralized or distributed, and the networkcontroller can decide, for example, with which mesh point each clientshould associate, when a client should roam, which topology the networkshould be using, with which band should the client associate, which bandshould be used for the traffic forwarding, and where to install a newmesh point to provide more coverage in the target area.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forthsuch as examples of specific components, circuits, and processes toprovide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. Also, in thefollowing description and for purposes of explanation, specificnomenclature is set forth to provide a thorough understanding of thepresent embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in theart that these specific details may not be required to practice thepresent embodiments. In other instances, well-known circuits and devicesare shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the presentdisclosure.

The term “coupled” as used herein means connected directly to orconnected through one or more intervening components or circuits. Any ofthe signals provided over various buses described herein may betime-multiplexed with other signals and provided over one or more commonbuses. Additionally, the interconnection between circuit elements orsoftware blocks may be shown as buses or as single signal lines. Each ofthe buses may alternatively be a single signal line, and each of thesingle signal lines may alternatively be buses, and a single line or busmight represent any one or more of a myriad of physical or logicalmechanisms for communication (e.g., a network) between components. Thepresent embodiments are not to be construed as limited to specificexamples described herein but rather to include within their scope allembodiments defined by the appended claims.

System Overview

FIG. 1A is a representative wireless mess network environment 100 withinwhich some embodiments may be implemented. The environment 100 includesa gateway 110, a main mesh point 112 a, a number of additional meshpoints 112 b-112 n, a wide area network (WAN) 120, and a plurality ofclient devices 130 a-130 n.

The gateway 110 can be a default gateway, which in computer networkingsense, is the node that is assumed to know how to forward packets on toother networks. In a home or small office environment, the gatewaydevice 110, such as a digital subscriber line (DSL) router or cablerouter that connects the local area network (LAN) (e.g., the networkestablished by mesh points 112 a-112 n) to the Internet (e.g., network120) acts as the default gateway for all network devices. For example,the gateway 110 and the network 120 may be connected via a twisted paircabling network, a coax cable network, a telephone network, or anysuitable type of connection network. In some embodiments, the basestation 110 and the network 120 may be connected wirelessly (e.g., whichmay include employing a data traffic network based on wireless telephonyservices such as 3G, 3.5G, 4G LTE and the like).

The main mesh point 112 a, which is illustrated as operating in “mainaccess point (AP)” mode, is coupled together with the network 120 sothat main mesh point 112 a can enable, either directly or through theadditional mesh points 112 b-112 n, the client devices 130 a-130 n toexchange data to and from the network 120. The technologies supportingthe communications between the gateway 110 and the main mesh point 112 amay include Ethernet (e.g., as described in IEEE 802.3 family ofstandards) and/or other suitable types of area network technologies.

The additional mesh points 112 b-112 n connect to the main mesh point112 a, either directly or indirectly, via one or more wireless networkcommunication technologies, such as WLAN (e.g., Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, etc.The IEEE 802.11 standards are a set of WLAN technology specificationscommonly seen for implementing wireless local area network (WLAN)computer communication. Examples of different wireless communicationprotocols in the IEEE 802.11 family of standards can include IEEE802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, and so forth. When aclient device (e.g., 130 a, 130 b, 130 n) establishes connection withone of the mesh points 112 b-112 n, the mesh points 112 b-112 n canforward the traffic to the mesh point 112 a that is connected to thegateway 110, which in turn communicates the traffic to the outside world(e.g., wide area network (WAN) 120 and/or “the Internet”).

Although not shown for simplicity, the mesh points 112 a-112 n mayinclude one or more processors, which may be general-purpose processorsor may be application-specific integrated circuitry that providesarithmetic and control functions to implement the techniques disclosedherein on the mesh points 112 a-112 n. The processor(s) may include acache memory (not shown for simplicity) as well as other memories (e.g.,a main memory, and/or non-volatile memory such as a hard-disk drive orsolid-state drive. In some examples, cache memory is implemented usingSRAM, main memory is implemented using DRAM, and non-volatile memory isimplemented using Flash memory or one or more magnetic disk drives.According to some embodiments, the memories may include one or morememory chips or modules, and the processor(s) on the mesh points 112a-112 n may execute a plurality of instructions or program codes thatare stored in its memory.

The client devices 130 a-130 n can connect to and communicate with themesh points 112 a-112 n wirelessly including, for example, using theIEEE 802.11 family of standards (e.g., Wireless LAN), and can includeany suitable intervening wireless network devices including, forexample, base stations, routers, gateways, hubs, or the like. Dependingon the embodiments, the network technology connecting between the clientdevices 130 a-130 n and the mesh points 112 a-112 n can include othersuitable wireless standards such as the well-known Bluetoothcommunication protocols or near field communication (NFC) protocols. Insome embodiments, the network technology between the devices 130 a-130 nand the mesh points 112 a-112 n can include a customized version ofWLAN, Bluetooth, or customized versions of other suitable wirelesstechnologies. Client devices 130 a-130 n can be any suitable computingor mobile devices including, for example, smartphones, tablet computers,laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or the like. Client devices130 a-130 n typically include a display, and may include suitable inputdevices (not shown for simplicity) such as a keyboard, a mouse, or atouchpad. In some embodiments, the display may be a touch-sensitivescreen that includes input functionalities. Additional examples of thedevices 130 a-130 n can include network-connected cameras (or “IPcameras”), home sensors, and other home appliances (e.g., a “smartrefrigerator” that can connect to the Internet).

It is noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will understand thatthe components of FIG. 1 are just one implementation of the computernetwork environment within which present embodiments may be implemented,and the various alternative embodiments are within the scope of thepresent embodiments. For example, the environment 100 may furtherinclude intervening devices (e.g., switches, routers, hubs, etc.) amongthe mesh points 112 a-112 n, the network 120, and the client devices 130a-130 n. In some examples, the network 120 comprises the Internet.

With the environment introduced above in mind, various techniques forimplementing automated mesh point survey and guided installation aredescribed in more detail below, with continued reference to the elementsin FIG. 1. Also, for purposes of discussion herein, one or more devicesin the plurality of mesh points 112 a-112 n, or the mesh network formedby the mesh points 112 a-112 n, may be referred to as Orbi™, which is atrademark of NETGEAR, Inc.

Device Architecture

FIG. 1B is a high-level block diagram showing an example of a computingdevice 1200 that can be used to implement one or more devices (e.g.,gateway 110, mesh points 112 a-112 n, and user devices 130 a-130 n)introduced here.

In the illustrated embodiment, the computing system 1200 includes one ormore processors 1210, memory 1211, a communication device 1212, and oneor more input/output (I/O) devices 1213, all coupled to each otherthrough an interconnect 1214. The interconnect 1214 may be or mayinclude one or more conductive traces, buses, point-to-pointconnections, controllers, adapters and/or other conventional connectiondevices. The processor(s) 1210 may be or may include, for example, oneor more general-purpose programmable microprocessors, microcontrollers,application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable gatearrays, or the like, or a combination of such devices. The processor(s)1210 control the overall operation of the computing device 1200. Memory1211 may be or may include one or more physical storage devices, whichmay be in the form of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM)(which may be erasable and programmable), flash memory, miniature harddisk drive, or other suitable type of storage device, or a combinationof such devices. Memory 1211 may store data and instructions thatconfigure the processor(s) 1210 to execute operations in accordance withthe techniques described above. The communication device 1212 may be ormay include, for example, an Ethernet adapter, cable modem, Wi-Fiadapter, cellular transceiver, Bluetooth transceiver, or the like.Depending on the specific nature and purpose of the processing device1200, the I/O devices 1213 can include devices such as a display (whichmay be a touch screen display), audio speaker, keyboard, mouse or otherpointing device, microphone, camera, etc.

Automated Mesh Point Survey and Guided Installation

As previously mentioned, it is generally hard to cover a relativelylarge area using a single AP. A multiple AP solution (i.e., a wirelessmesh network) to cover the whole area is an attractive alternative, butthere are also many challenges. Among them, the user needs to find thedead spots, the user needs to know what kind of wireless coverage (e.g.,signal strength, throughput (TPUT), goodput (or application-levelthroughput)) is capable to carry at least the Internet speed or otherservices through the deployed environment, the user needs to know whereto install the mesh points, and the user needs to verify that thecurrent mesh installation is providing the coverage needed around thehome, and as an additional option, to receive suggestions on how toimprove the wireless coverage when needed or when the user purchases anupgraded Internet service.

Therefore, one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a portabledevice (e.g., by using a mobile software application running on a user'smobile computing device) with the capability of assisting the userthroughout the site survey and installation process. Generally speaking,the disclosed application can assist the user to connect the first meshpoint to where the user's gateway (e.g., a cable modem) is and enterpersonal settings (e.g., a desired SSID/password). Then, the applicationcan guide the user to walk around the environment to determine where thedead spots (i.e., locations with poor WLAN reception) are. Afterwards,the application can instruct the user where to install the additionalmesh points to increase the coverage to reduce or eliminate the deadspots. The application can verify whether the installation is a good one(e.g., functioning properly and achieving a target transmission rate),and if not, provide feedbacks to the user accordingly. Afterwards, theapplication can perform an Internet speed test, and can allow the userto walk around to perform coverage surveys to verify that the availabletransmission rate and coverage meets his or her need. If the user laterwants to upgrade the Internet connection and add additional mesh pointsto provide more bandwidth to the existing network structure, theapplication can assist the user to achieve that as well. As such,example functions of such portable device (e.g., as enabled by themobile application) introduced here include:

(1) surveying the wireless coverage in the environment;

(2) communicating the type and capabilities of the user's device (onwhich the mobile application is installed) to the wireless mesh network(e.g., to a controlling entity, which may be the mesh point 112 afunctioning as the main AP, another mesh point in the network, or acloud-based server);

(3) setting up the configurations of the mesh network, such as serviceset identifier (SSID), password, and other attributes of mesh network,using Bluetooth, and/or other forms of wireless communication;

(4) measuring the Internet speed to set a target transmission rate for adesirable wireless coverage in home;

(5) guiding the installation of mesh points in home to provide thetarget wireless coverage; and

(6) providing verification of the target wireless coverage during and/orafter the installation of mesh points.

Note that the type and capabilities of the user's device can includewhat type of device it is (e.g. Apple iPhone 6S™, Samsung Galaxy S6™,and/or any other related information such as antenna configuration,protocol capabilities, etc.). As is described in more detail below, thedevice information can be used to determine how to map the coveragerange of that particular device to the coverage range of a typicaldevice (e.g., for transmission rate estimation, coverage estimation,roaming decisions, etc.). The information can also be used to translatethe measurement results obtained on that particular device to estimatedmesh-to-mesh coverage in the wireless mesh network. The information canbe used to see if the particular device supports roaming instructions,and if so, what type.

FIG. 2 is an example user interface illustrating a welcome pageoutlining the general functionalities of a mobile software applicationthat transform the user's mobile device to implement one or moretechniques introduced here. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the interfacegenerally outlines the process of assisted installation andconfiguration of the mesh points, by breaking it down into threesegments (not in a necessary order): (1) Installation of the main meshpoint (e.g., mesh point 112 a); (2) Installation of the additional meshpoints (e.g., mesh point 112 b-112 n); and (3) Testing of the installedmesh points (e.g., mesh points 112 a-112 n). The interface may include astart button that allows the user to initiate the process.

FIGS. 3A-3F are example user interfaces illustrating processes forassisting a user in installing the main mesh point in a wireless meshnetwork. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, first, the user is instructed toinstall and launch an mobile application on his or her user device, suchas a smart phone (e.g., device 130 a). Upon the execution of theapplication on the user device 130 a, the application prompts the userto install the main mesh point 112 a at a desired place in theenvironment (e.g., next to the home gateway 110). The main mesh point112 a can be connected to the gateway 110 via a wired (e.g., IEEE 802.3wired Ethernet) or wireless (e.g., IEEE 802.11 WLAN) connection, eventhough a direct, wired connection is typically more desirable for theinherent robustness and potentially higher transmission rate. Ingeneral, the connection between the main mesh point 112 a and thegateway 110 should be reasonably close and without substantialinterference, such that the main mesh point 112 a does not become abottleneck for the bandwidth to the network 120.

In one or more implementations, after the physical installation of themain mesh point 112 a, the application can cause the user device 130 ato connect to the main mesh point 112 a using a default set of serviceset identifier (SSID) and password. This connection can be performed bythe application automatically (e.g., upon the detection of theavailability of the default SSID) or after receiving an input from theuser, such as the activation of a software button “I've plugged him in,”shown in FIG. 3A. This process of establishing connection to the mainmesh point 112 a is illustrated in FIG. 3B. There can be a number ofvariations on the exact mechanism of connecting to the main mesh point112 a, depending on the device type and the operating system of the userdevice 130 a. In one embodiment, if the user device 130 a is an Android™device, the application may connect to the default SSID and password byaccessing the configuration of the WLAN circuitry on the device.Alternatively, if the user device 130 a is an iOS™ device for example,the application can instruct the user how to connect to default SSID. Inyet another alternative, when available, the application may utilizeother types of wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth™) first forestablishing the initial communication and then hand off to WLAN, tomake the installation procedure easier. For example, mechanisms such asGeneric Attribute Profile (GATT) of Bluetooth Low Energy™ (BLE) may beused to exchange the SSID, password, and/or any other relevant profileand user data over a BLE connection to the main mesh point 112 a firstfor purposes of establishing WLAN connection between the user device 130a and the main mesh point 112 a. In variations, classic Bluetooth™ mayalso be used to carry profile information when available.

As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the application can also provide anopportunity (e.g., via a button) for the user to convey to the main meshpoint 112 a a desired SSID and password for the mesh network. If thereis a preset SSID conflict situation (e.g., when more than one mesh pointis nearby using the same default SSID), the application can detect theconflict and prompt the user to resolve the conflict by entering acustomized, desired SSID and password for the mesh network. FIG. 3Dillustrates an interface that may be implemented in the applicationintroduced here for receiving user selected wireless network credentialsfor the mesh network, including an SSID and a password. The desiredSSID/password can be used to further configure the first, main meshpoint 112 a and the subsequent mesh points 112 b-112 n. When the userdevice 130 a successfully connects to the main mesh point 112 a, ascreen such as FIG. 3C can be displayed by the application to prompt theuser to proceed further with the installation. FIGS. 3E and 3Fillustrate additional or alternative embodiments of the user interfacesillustrated in FIGS. 3B and 3C.

After the main mesh point 112 a is installed successfully, in someembodiments, the application measures the Internet speed from the mainmesh point 11 a, and uses that as a basis for a target of how muchwireless speed needed to be supported across the entire mesh network.That is to say, the measured Internet speed can be used to determine atarget speed rate for the mesh network. According to some examples, theInternet speed may be measured from the main mesh point 112 a and thenreported to the application using WLAN, Bluetooth, or any other suitablelinks between the main mesh point 112 a and the user device 130 a.Alternatively, the Internet speed may be measured by the user device 112a through a connection (e.g., a wireless connection) with the main meshpoint 112 a, even though the measurement may be less accurate than beingmeasured directly through the main mesh point 112 a. Whether theInternet speed is measured from main mesh point 112 a or the user'sportable device 130 a, it may be measured by adopting one or more of thefollowing example ways: flooding-based tools with large multipleTransmission Control Protocol (TCP) sessions; file download time; ProbeGap Model (PGM) tools that send back-to-back probes and estimate theavailable bandwidth based on the dispersion observed at the receiver;and/or Probe Rate Model (PRM) tools that send probes at different rates.Note that, for PRM tools (e.g., Pathload or ABwProbe), if the probe rateis higher than the available bandwidth, then the probes should bereceived at a lower rate (e.g., buffering the packets at the bottlenecklink). The available bandwidth equals the maximum rate at which thesending rate matches the receiving rate. Also, note that for Internetspeed measurement, a server in the Internet is generally necessary togenerate the traffic, and therefore practical factors such server'sgeneral availability and bandwidth should be considered in theimplementation.

FIGS. 4A-4C are example user interfaces illustrating introductoryprocesses for assisting a user in installing additional mesh points inthe wireless mesh network. FIGS. 4A-4C may be implemented to provide theuser with an overview of the automated installation guidance procedure,including dead spot finding, mesh point installation location guidinginstructions, and WLAN coverage and connection speed verification afterthe installation.

FIGS. 5A-5D are example user interfaces illustrating processes forassisting a user in finding weak reception spots (or “dead spots) forpotential locations to install additional mesh points.

To begin, the user is prompted to use the user device 112 a (and via theapplication) to conduct a wireless coverage survey. As illustrated inFIG. 5A, the user is instructed to walk around the environment to finddead spots (e.g., all the dead spots or the dead spots that matter tothe user) using the application that is installed on the user device 112a. In accordance with the present disclosure, some embodiments of theapplication can cause the portable user device 130 a to give feedback tothe user regarding the quality of the wireless coverage of the currentlocation.

More specifically, in accordance with a number of embodiments, theapplication can utilize one or more of the link rate estimationtechniques, which are introduced herein further below, to estimate thewireless coverage of all the frequency bands (e.g., 2.4G, 5G, and/orother bands) using the frequency band (e.g., 2.4G) with which the userdevice 130 a is connected. For example, if the user device 130 a isconnected to the 2.4 GHz frequency band, the application can use thelink rate estimation techniques to estimate the available speed in the 5GHz frequency band using statistics gathered from the 2.4 GHzconnection.

After the link speeds on various frequency bands are estimated, thequality of the wireless coverage at the current location is reportedbased on the target data rate that wireless mesh network is aimed toreach. The means of the reporting can be designed to be easilyunderstandable by the layman user, such as “Great,” “Good,” “Bad,” orany other user perceivable metric. Examples of such reporting areillustrated in FIGS. 5B-5D. One or more of the user interfaces used forreporting can include buttons to provide the opportunity for the user toupgrade the mesh network's coverage and/or link speed, such asillustrated in FIGS. 5C and 5D. In this way, the application furtherpromotes the business opportunity for the user to purchase more meshpoints.

With the knowledge of the locations of the dead spots, the applicationcan guide the user to cover the discovered dead spots one by one.

FIGS. 6A-6E are example user interfaces illustrating furtherintroductory processes for assisting a user in installing additionalmesh points in the wireless mesh network. First, as illustrated in FIG.6A, the application instructs the user to physically carry the firstadditional mesh point 112 b, and then, as shown in FIG. 6B, theapplication instructs the user to move back to the main mesh point 112a. Now, before the actual guided installation of additional mesh pointsstarts to take place, it may be beneficial to brief the user on theremaining procedures, and acquaint the user with the interface and thepossible graphical instructions. Example interfaces in FIGS. 6C-6Eintroduce to the user the two remaining items to go through:installation of the additional mesh points 112 b-112 n, and verificationof the installation by running tests. A video demonstration of theprocedure, such as visually showing the user how he or she should walkaway from the main mesh point 112 a while holding the user device 130 aduring the installation of the additional mesh points, can also behelpful. This may be initiated by the user with the example interfaceshown in FIG. 6C.

FIGS. 7A-7E are example user interfaces illustrating guidinginstructions for assisting a user in installing additional mesh pointsin the wireless mesh network. After the instruction in FIG. 6B, the useris with the first additional mesh point 112 b and at a location nearbythe main mesh point 112 a. Then, the user is instructed by theapplication to walk from the main mesh point 112 a to a first dead spot.At the first dead spot (or as an alternative, continuously during thewalk), the application employs one or more of the link rate estimationtechniques introduced hereafter to monitor the wireless coverage, andautomatically generate feedbacks to the user with regard to the locationwhere the additional mesh points should be installed. Examples of suchfeedbacks or advices are: “Too close” (e.g., FIG. 7A), “Close” (e.g.,FIG. 7B), “Good” (e.g., FIG. 7C), “A bit far” (e.g., FIG. 7D), and “Toofar” (e.g., FIG. 7E). In some embodiments, to maximize the coverage, theuser is instructed to install the additional mesh point(s) in thefarthest possible place that is still considered “Good,” e.g., thecloset possible places between “Good” and “A bit far.” The user can theninstall the additional mesh point 112 b based on the automated guidancegenerated by the application.

FIGS. 8A-8G are example user interfaces illustrating diagnosticprocesses of installed mesh points in the wireless mesh network. Oncethe additional mesh point (e.g., mesh point 112 b) is installed, theapplication can communicate (e.g., using a default SSID/password) withthe additional mesh point 112 b and can cause the additional mesh point112 b (e.g., by changing the configuration of the WLAN circuitry, suchas switching to an SSID and a password the user previously entered forthe wireless mesh network, introduced above) to connect to the main meshpoint 112 a. It is noted here that the connection between the additionalmesh point 112 b and the main mesh point 112 a is used only as anexample for simplicity in describing the entire process. It is notnecessary for the additional mesh point 112 b to directly connect to themain mesh point 112 a, even during the installation and initialconfiguration process; rather, the installed mesh point can connect toany suitable mesh point in the wireless mesh network. For example, theadditional mesh point 112 b can connect to another mesh point 112 c,which may be already set up to function as a working part of thewireless mesh network. Example screen displays showing the progress ofautomatic configuring the additional mesh point 112 b to connect withthe main mesh point 112 a are shown in FIGS. 8A-8B.

Then, the application performs a link rate estimation on all possiblechannels of communication between the installed mesh point 112 b and therest of the mesh network. Such process can be initiated by a softwarebutton, as shown in FIG. 8B. For example, a link rate estimation can beperformed on a 2.4 GHz link, a 5 GHz link, a sub-1G link, or any otherwireless link available. For the embodiments of mesh points that havepowerline communication capability (e.g., HomePlug AV™ compatible), thelink speed via the powerline can be estimated. In a number ofimplementations, the mesh points are equipped with more than one typesof suitable hardware to implement a variety of network technologies, forexample, a 2.4 GHz WLAN, a 5 GHz WLAN, a 2.4G Bluetooth™, a sub-1G radiolink, a powerline Ethernet link, and so forth. The variety of networktechnologies can be used as a pool for selecting the best link forforwarding data traffic and also, in some embodiments, for implementinga dedicated backhaul link (discussed further below). According to one ormore embodiments, the quality of link of the mesh point with other partsof the mesh network can be estimated using one or more of the followingparameters: (1) the speed of communication between the mesh point andthe closest mesh point or the mesh point that provides the highesttransmission speed; (2) the number of hops in the network; and (3) thetarget throughput (or goodput) for a client. Link rate estimationtechniques, including throughput and goodput determinations, arediscussed in more detail below. Based on the link rate estimation, theapplication can provide corresponding instructions to the user. In someimplementations, if the quality of the communication link between themesh point being installed and the rest of mesh network is determined bythe application to be sufficient (e.g., exceeding a select threshold),then the user is instructed to continue, such as shown in FIG. 8E.Otherwise, the application can instruct the user to move the mesh pointdepending on the result of the link estimation. As shown in FIG. 8C, ifthe estimated rate is too low, meaning that the mesh point is installedtoo far away, the application can instruct the user to move the meshpoint closer to the nearest mesh point or the main mesh point.Conversely, if the estimated rate is too high, meaning that the meshpoint is installed too close by, the application can instruct the userto move the mesh point farther away from the nearest mesh point or themain mesh point, such as shown in FIG. 8D. In one or moreimplementations, because the total number of hops the user will installmay not be known to the system (e.g., by a controlling entity such asthe main mesh point 112 a) until the installation finishes, theapplication may place higher priority on maintaining the minimumrequired throughput in determining where to install additional meshpoints. Further fine tuning of the location (e.g., FIGS. 8F and 8G) canbe performed, if necessary, after all available mesh points areinstalled.

Once mesh points are installed successfully, the application caninstruct the user to walk to a previously identified dead spot (e.g.,discussed above with respect to FIGS. 5A-5D) to verify that the deadspot is mitigated or eliminated after the installation of the meshpoints. An example of such an instruction is shown in FIG. 8E. Ifwireless coverage becomes available at the previously identified deadspot and if the quality of wireless becomes acceptable (e.g., over acertain threshold, such as the Internet speed available at the main meshpoint), then the user is instructed to proceed to the next dead spot. Ifwireless coverage remains unavailable at the dead spot or if the qualityis not acceptable, then the user can be instructed to walk back to thelocation of the last installed, working mesh point and try to installanother mesh point toward the dead spot. As previously described, thesoftware application running on the user's mobile device can guide theuser in determining the location to install additional mesh points formitigating or eliminating dead spots by continuously monitoring wirelesscoverage and estimated good put. A feedback mechanism similar to what isdiscussed above can be used (e.g., too close, close, good, a bit far,far). This process can continue till there is acceptable wirelesscoverage at the dead spot.

Once a dead spot is covered, the user is instructed to check the otherknown dead spots in the environment. As the user walks toward the secondor another subsequent dead spot, the application and the mesh networkcan work together to provide corresponding feedback to the user about asuggested location of for additional mesh point installation. In one ormore implementations, the application can utilize those mesh points thatare already installed, and take into consideration the possibility ofroaming to other existing mesh points when determining the location forthe next mesh point. For example, the application can consider or cancause the user's mobile device to roam to another mesh point (e.g., theclosest one) while the user searches for dead spots. The application mayalso provide relevant information (e.g., measured readouts) to thecontrolling entity of the mesh network so as to help the mesh networkperform roaming more effectively. More details regarding roamingtechniques are discussed below.

When the user completes the elimination or mitigation of all the knowndead spots he or she desires, the user can verify the coverage byperforming a survey using the application and the mobile device. Anexample interface of a survey is shown in FIG. 9. If a faster speed isdesired by the user, then the user can instruct the application toprovide further guidance regarding the location to install additionalmesh points to improve the speed covered in the mesh network, such asshown in FIG. 10.

If anything within the deployed environment changes that results in achange in the wireless coverage, the application can be used to modifythe mesh network and/or to install more mesh points. In some examples,the application may include specification of different kinds of meshpoint products available, and can guide the user to a recommended kindof mesh point for the user's specific environment (e.g., in view of theexisting mesh network and environmental limitations) and need (e.g., toprovide the desired speed and coverage). If the Internet speed changes(e.g., as a result of changing Internet service provider (ISP) plans),then the application can be used to adjust the mesh network in order tomeet the new targets. FIGS. 11A-110 show example user interfacesillustrating further diagnostic and configuration processes of thewireless mesh network. In the shown examples, the interface allows forthe user to view the current link status of each link in the meshnetwork. The link can be color coded by the detected connection speed.The user can also specify the type of mobile device (e.g., FIG. 11C)such that the information can be used for adjustment and guidancepurposes.

Certain embodiments provide the ability to customize the guidance (e.g.,how to hold the device during link estimation) and/or mesh networkfunctions (e.g., whether to roam the device, how to roam, or whatfrequency band to connect) based on the type of device that the userhas. Specifically, because it is likely that the mobile device ishand-held by the user, how exactly the user holds the device (e.g., theangle the device is held (which affects the antennas' orientation), orthe location the device is held as compared to where the antennas are)can affect the wireless performance of the mobile device, which in turnaffects the accuracy of the above-discussed measurements. Accordingly,some embodiments of the disclosed application may utilize one or moreorientation sensors located on the user's mobile device (e.g.,gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, gravity sensor, or any other suitablesensor, for obtaining the orientation information of the user device),and use the orientation information as a parameter to adjust how theapplication maps the measured wireless performance to the wirelesscoverage at the location where the mobile device is held. In someexamples, the application can guide the user on how to hold the mobiledevice (e.g., to hold at a preferred angle, or to stay away from certainreception sensitive portion of the particular device) in order to getconsistent survey results. In a number of embodiments, the orientationand/or other sensory information may also be used to estimate whichdirection the user is walking toward, which in turn can assist theapplication in determining the guidance instruction used during theinstallation process.

Link Rate Estimation in a Wireless Mesh Network

The disclosed embodiments can utilize, through a software application,the user's mobile device to perform automated mesh network installationguidance. To facilitate the guidance, embodiments of the softwareapplication is to perform quality estimation of link between mesh pointsin order to determine whether a particular mesh point's installedlocation is a good one, to check and verify wireless network coverage,and to check for the throughput of the Internet at various locations inthe environment. As one example scenario, during a mesh networkinstallation or configuration process, the user can be provided withopportunities (e.g., illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5D) to find the dead spotsusing the mobile device. As such, the user's mobile device is associatedto the closest mesh point to the dead spot. Then, the user is instructedto walk toward the dead spot while holding the user device, and thesoftware application would continuously perform link estimation in orderto suggest a location for installing additional mesh point(s). Inanother example scenario (e.g., after mitigating a dead spot), the usermay be instructed to walk back to the first mesh point (e.g., FIG. 6B)and then walk to new dead spot. (In this case, the user device may beroamed to another mesh point that provides a better throughput while theuser is relocating; roaming techniques are discussed below.) In theseexamples, while the user is relocating (e.g., walking), the wirelesslink quality can be continuously assessed such that a proper locationcan be suggested for new mesh point installment.

Further, once the new mesh point is installed, that new mesh point cansend test packets to the mesh nodes that it can reach. Based on theresults measured by the test packet transmission, the new mesh point canselect one or more methods as its dedicated backhaul communicationmechanism between itself and the rest of the mesh points in the meshnetwork. Dedicated backhaul communication techniques are discussedfurther below. In a number of the above mentioned scenarios, there is aneed to have link estimation techniques for accurately estimating thelink between mesh nodes.

However, it is observed in the present disclosure that a number ofdifficulties prevent traditional metrics from working well in thedisclosed wireless mesh network environment. For example, because someportion of the estimation procedure is performed on the user's device,different types of phones (e.g., Apple, Samsung, or HTC), antennaconfigurations (e.g., 1×1, 2×2), as well as the WLAN technologysupported (e.g., IEEE 802.11n, or 802.11ac) can all affect themeasurement results. (FIG. 12 shows an example list of type of devices.)Another consideration is the size of the test packets. For example, itis observed that traditional “ping” packets would not be adequate.“Ping” is a computer network administration software utility used totest the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. Itmeasures the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating hostto a destination computer that are echoed back to the source. Pingtypically operates by sending Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)Echo Request packets to the target host and waiting for an ICMP EchoReply. The program may report errors, packet loss, and a statisticalsummary of the results, typically including the minimum, maximum, themean round-trip times, and/or standard deviation of the mean. However,because ping packets are typically very short, and the estimated ratebased on such packets would not represent the actual throughput andInternet speed capability, and therefore they are not a good measure forsetting the target transmission rate. Other example considerationsinclude, but not limited to, frequency of the transmission of testpackets, type of test packets, and so forth. For example, the testpackets should not be of a type of packets (e.g., control packets) thatare to be transmitted at a lower rate by the design of rate controllingmechanism in the communications protocol.

Accordingly, the software application as well as the mesh pointdisclosed herein can initiate a specific test data traffic to be sentbetween the user's mobile device and the mesh point with which theuser's mobile device is currently associated. In many examples, the datatraffic is mainly downlink data traffic from the mesh point to theuser's mobile device; however, uplink data traffic can be estimated viathe same or a similar manner. Then, the data rate as well as thereceived signal strength indicator (RSSI) (a measurement of the powerpresent in a received radio signal) between the user's device and themesh point can be used to estimate the quality of wireless meshnetwork's coverage at different locations. Depending on theimplementation, the link estimation calculations can be done in thesoftware application running on the user's mobile device, oralternatively, on a software or firmware operating on the mesh point.The software application can provide user interfaces (e.g., FIGS.11A-11C) for monitoring the status of the links based on the estimatedwireless coverage. This process can be performed as necessary, forexample, when the network's configuration changes (e.g., Internet speedupgrade, new mesh points, or environmental changes such as a newmicrowave oven or a new piece of furniture).

With simultaneous reference to flow charts 2000, 2030, and 2050illustrated in FIGS. 20A-20C, example methods for performing rateestimation, device characterization, and device classification in a meshnetwork are further discussed below. These methods can be implementedand performed by a controlling entity of the mesh network in conjunctionwith the software application that runs on the user device (e.g., device130 a) and the mesh points. Depending on the embodiments, thecontrolling entity may be centralized (e.g., on the main mesh point 112a, FIG. 1A), distributed among the mesh points (e.g., on mesh points 112a-112 n, FIG. 1A), and/or remotely controllable (e.g., via a remoteserver that is in the WAN IP Network 120).

More specifically, to perform the link rate estimation (e.g., forfinding a suitable location to install an additional mesh point, inorder to mitigate a dead spot), first the software application can sendan instruction to the currently associated mesh point (which, in anumber of implementations, would be the mesh point with the best link tothe user's device based on the disclosed techniques) to starttransmitting specific downlink test data packets to the user's mobiledevice (Step 2002). According to one or more embodiments, the packetsare aggregated, such as Aggregated Mac Protocol Data Unit (A-MPDU) orAggregated Mac Service Data Unit (A-MSDU) introduced in the IEEE 802.11family of standards. In some embodiments, at least 10 data units areaggregated in the aggregated data packet (e.g., at least 10 MPDU perA-MPDU). One or more implementations provide that each MPDU is about100K bytes, and the A-MPDU is at least 1M bytes. In some examples, testscan be performed on multiple available frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz,or others) and/or different channels. The testing packets can be sent atan increasing rate, for example, 20 times a second, 30 times a second,and so forth, in order to test the capability. Each rate should at leastbe sustained long enough for the rate control of IEEE 802.11 protocol toconverge or stabilize. FIG. 12A is a table illustrating the upper,center, and lower frequencies of different Wireless LAN (WLAN) channelsin a typical 2.4 GHz frequency band, and FIG. 12B is a tableillustrating example frequencies of different Wireless LAN (WLAN)channels available (e.g., in the United States) in a typical 5 GHzfrequency band.

The mesh point can verify that the transmission of the aggregatedpackets are acknowledged (“ACKED”). Depending on the traffic'sdirection, either the mesh point or the user's device can determine theRSSI values for the last select number of packets are determined (e.g.,allowing for rate controlling mechanism in Wi-Fi protocols to converge)(Step 2004). The RSSI values can be filtered to exclude momentaryfluctuation (e.g., which may be a result of multi-path fading) does notnegatively affect the accuracy of the estimation. In some embodiments,if the user's device is equipped with multiple antennas, MIMO RSSIvalues are taken into account. If the RSSI value is calibrated, thenRSSI calibration can be used to offset the readings. In addition or asan alternative, if thermal compensation coefficients are available, thenthe RSSI value can be offset to accommodate thermal changes in radioreceiver's gain. In some examples, power per rate can also be taken intoaccount to accommodate different power consumptions for different rates,and the RSSI readings can be offset accordingly. In some examples, aClear Channel Assessment (CCA) can be performed to estimate how muchinterference is there in the communication channel, and if theinterference exceeds a certain level, the link estimation can switch toan alternative approach, for example, by using only RSSI estimations. Inother examples, this interference determination step may be entirelyskipped.

The estimation of the throughput (or effective link rate) can be basedon the physical layer (PHY) data rate observed in the transmission ofthe test packets. Because the link is bidirectional, the measurementsfor the transmission part (from mesh point to user device) is separatefrom the measurements for the reception part. For measuring transmissionperformance, after the mesh point downloading test packets to the user'sdevice, the transmission (TX) PHY rate is read back from the user'sdevice for the last select number of packets (for the transmission istypically more unstable when initialized). Even though the specificimplementation may differ depending on the application, one or morefactors including the transmit data rate, coding, and/or bandwidth ofthe packet can be used in at least some embodiments to estimate the PHYrate. According to some embodiments, the amount of ACKs and otherpackets can be taken into account, and in some embodiments, may befiltered out of process that is used to calculate the average PHY rate.Other factors such as packet length and packet error rate may also betaken into account. In some embodiments, if the detected interference istoo high, the estimated rate may be offset such that the software wouldnot mistakenly determine that the location has become too far when thereal reason for the estimated rate to be low is because of collision andnoise. Measuring reception performance can be done in a similar fashionas the transmission, for example, by the user's device uploading testpackets to the mesh points, which can determine the reception (RX) PHYrate.

With the measured PHY rate, a network throughput (TPUT) of the meshnetwork, having the additional mesh point installed at the locationwhere the user's device is currently located, can be estimated (Step2006). For purposes of discussion herein, the TPUT can be defined as theTransmission Control Protocol (TCP) layer TPUT that the client (e.g.,the user's device) can pass through the newly installed mesh point (andthrough the mesh network) to the home gateway. In a number ofimplementations, the TPUT of the mesh network can be expressed asfollows:

1/TPUT=TCP_(Overhead)Σ_(i=1) ^(N) ^(hop) (1/LTPUT_(i)+1/USER DEVICE WIFIPHY Rate)   Eq. (1)

where LTPUT_(i) is the TPUT on the link_(i), which is the TPUT betweentwo mesh points. The TPUT between two mesh points are calculated usingtest packets after the installation of the two mesh points. The TPUTmeasured can be frequency band specific, and in which case, the TPUTnumber used here should correspond to the frequency band that the user'sdevice is currently measuring or adopting. Based on experiments,TCP_(overhead) value can be set to 0.1. In one or more embodiments, theLTPUT=0.7×EstimatedPHYRate_(i). The mesh network's Internet_(speed)=Min(TPUT, speed_(m)), where speed_(m) is the Internet speed measured at themain mesh point that directly connects to the gateway, which in turnconnects to the Internet.

Note that, in order to implement mapping of measured TPUT performance(through the user's device) to the performance of the additional meshpoint, different types of devices are tested in a controlledenvironment, and compared with mesh point's performance in the samecontrolled environment. Flow chart 2030 shows an example method forcharacterization of device type and collection of training data. Forexample, TPUT as well as other statistical data for different devicescan be collected at various attenuation (Step 2032) by causing thedevice to engage in data traffic with a certain amount of packets (Step2034). Measurements can be taken on both transmitting and receivingends, and on all the available frequency bands (e.g., 2.4G and 5G). Themeasurement on the data transmitted to the device can generate RSSIvalues and RX rate for the device under the specific attenuation (Step2036). The measurement on the data received from the device can generateTX rate and TX retry numbers for the device under the specificattenuation (Step 2038). The same procedure is performed at sameattenuation points, and data collected, for a mesh point on theavailable frequency bands. Data can be statistically processed andanalyzed (e.g., curve fitting) to find effective attenuation (Step2040). Known statistical techniques, such as multi-variable linearregression, polynomial regression, or spline) may be used.

With the already gathered statistical data (e.g., TPUT versusAttenuation), therefore, the disclosed link rate estimation technique isable to map the performance of a user's device to the anticipatedperformance of a mesh point in a particular frequency band (Step 2042).In a similar fashion, it is also possible to map the performance of theuser's device in one frequency band to the anticipated performance ofthe same device in another frequency band (Step 2042). Note that,because each type of user device may have a different wirelessperformance characteristics (e.g., when and how to drop connection inwhat frequency band), persons who implement the technique may need touse a testing procedure suitable to the type of device for gatheringsufficient statistical data that can enable a meaningful mapping. Acontrolled environment can be used to perform tests on major devicevendors and major device types to create enough statistical data tocreate a meaningful database for mapping purposes. For example,handsets, tablets and personal computers from each of select majordevice vendors can be tested to gather their wireless performance (e.g.,TPUT) under different attenuation configurations.

FIG. 13A is a table illustrating the upper, center, and lowerfrequencies of different Wireless LAN channels in a typical 2.4 GHzfrequency band. FIG. 13B is a table illustrating example frequencies ofdifferent Wireless LAN (WLAN) channels available (e.g., in the UnitedStates) in a typical 5 GHz frequency band. As illustrated in FIG. 13A,in the United States and Canada, there are 11 channels available for usein the 2.4 GHz Wireless LAN frequency band as defined by IEEE 802.11family of standards.

FIG. 14A-14C are different statistical data gathered for mapping theperformance of a particular type of device to the anticipatedperformance of an additional mesh point, if installed at the samelocation. In particular, the example device is an Apple iPhone 6, whichis an IEEE 802.11ac device with a 1×1 antenna setup. In this particularexample, because it is observed that the device operating in 5 GHz maydisconnect more easily than what would have been for a mesh point, 2.4GHz frequency is used to check for wireless coverage during the networkinstallation. This is an example of the customization of testingprocedure discussed above.

In some implementations, a Probe Request (i.e., a special type of 802.11packet) can be used to detect the type of the user's device. Whensuitable (e.g., when the device may disconnect at 5 GHz more easily thana mesh point), the software application and/or a daemon (i.e., acomputer program that runs as a background process) operating on themesh point can direct the user device to use only a certain frequencyband (e.g., 2.4 GHz) during installation (e.g., by using ProbeSuppression or other applicable methods). In some embodiments, thesoftware application operating on the user's device can communicate withthe mesh point (e.g., to a daemon running on the mesh point) about theexact device type. Additionally, if the device type is unknown or a typethat is not documented in the database, then a generic device type maybe used. The generic device type can have a profile that is the averageof devices of the same configuration (e.g., 802.11ac, 1×1). Additionallyor alternatively, flow chart 2050 shows a method that can be utilizedfor device classification. The method can be performed, for example, atdevice association in order to find a device equivalent in the databaseof training data. Device wireless capability (e.g., available networktechnology or antenna configuration) can be first discovered, as well asthe device's manufacturer information and operating system (OS) versioninformation (Step 2052). Then, the closest device type from training canbe matched based on the gathered information (Step 2054). Besidesmanufacturer and OS information, the number of hops between theassociating mesh point and the home gateway can be used to map to acorresponding attenuation data point in the training data. In thismanner, using the database of training data, a classified device typecan be decided (Step 2056).

With the above discussion in mind, the link rate between a potentialmesh point and its closest (or otherwise best performed) existing meshpoint can be estimated based on RSSI values and PHY rates, derived fromthe test packet measurements between the user's device and the existingmesh point. Continuing with the above iPhone 6 example, based on theexperiment results, the following pseudo code can be used for estimatingTPUT for a mesh point's performance at 5 GHz using RSSI and PHY ratesmeasured at the user's device at 2.4 GHz.

<Start> If 2.4G Rate ≧ 72Mbps or If 2.4G Rate < 26Mbps {  If 2.4G max ofRSSI of antenna ≧ −60 {   If 2.4G Rate < 70Mbps, then report TPUT forLink-Orbi-5G = 175.5M bps;   If 2.4G Rate ≧ 70Mbps, then report TPUT forLink-Orbi-5G = 468Mbps;  }  If RSSI < −60 and If 2.4G Rate ≧ 70Mbps,then   report TPUT for Link-Orbi-5G = 175.5Mbps;  If −77 ≦ RSSI < −60 {  Estimated Rate = 22.353 * (RSSI + 77) + 88;   round Estimated Rate tothe closest Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) rate;   report TPUT forLink-Orbi-5G = closest MCS rate;  }  If −85 < RSSI < −77, then   reportTPUT for Link-Orbi-5G = 26Mbps;  If RSSI ≦ −85, then   report TPUT forLink-Orbi-5G = 1Mbps; } If 26Mbps ≦ 2.4G Rate < 72Mbps {  Estimated Rate= 3.24 * (2.4G Rate − 26) + 27;  round up Estimated Rate to the closest5G PHY rate;  report TPUT for Link-Orbi-5G = Max(Estimated Rate, RSSIEstimated Rate); } <End>

Note that the above pseudo code is merely an example measured for AppleiPhone 6. As mentioned above, different type of devices may havedifferent character profile, and therefore the parameters and/or logicflow in the pseudo code should be adjusted according to the type ofdevice that is used. The following is another example pseudo code forestimating TPUT for a mesh point's performance at 2.4 GHz using RSSI andPHY rates measured at the user's device at 2.4 GHz.

<Start> If 2.4G Rate ≧ 72Mbps or If 2.4G Rate < 26Mbps {  If 2.4G max ofRSSI of antenna ≧ −70, then   report TPUT for Link-Orbi-2G = 144Mbps; If −84 ≦ RSSI < −70 {   Estimated Rate = 6 * (RSSI + 84) + 52;   roundEstimated Rate to the closest MCS rate;   report TPUT for Link-Orbi-2G =closest MCS rate;  If −90 < RSSI < −84, then   report TPUT forLink-Orbi-2G = 19Mbps;  If RSSI ≦ −85, then   report TPUT forLink-Orbi-2G = 1Mbps; } If 26Mbps ≦ 2.4G Rate < 72Mbps {  Estimated Rate= 1.72 * (2.4G Rate − 19) + 39;  round up Estimated Rate to the closest2.4G PHY rate;  report TPUT for Link-Orbi-2G = Max(Estimated Rate, RSSIEstimated Rate); } <End>

The following is yet another example pseudo code for estimating theperformance of the user's device at 5 GHz using RSSI and PHY ratesmeasured at the user's device at 2.4 GHz.

<Start> If 2.4G max of RSSI of antenna ≧ −50 {  If 2.4G Rate < 70Mbps,then report TPUT for iPhone-6-5G = 351Mbps;  If 2.4G Rate ≧ 70Mbps, thenreport TPUT for iPhone-6-5G = 433Mbps;  }  If RSSI < −50 and If 2.4GRate ≧ 70Mbps, then   report TPUT for iPhone-6-5G = 175Mbps;  If −69 ≦RSSI < −50 {   Estimated Rate = 13.84 * (RSSI + 69) + 88;   roundEstimated Rate to the closest 1x1 11ac PHY rate;   report TPUT foriPhone-6-5G = the closest 1x1 11ac PHY rate;  }  If RSSI ≦ −69, then  report TPUT for iPhone-6-5G = iPhone-6-2G (i.e., use the 2.4G averaged rate and map it to the closest 2.4G MCS rate); } <End>

FIGS. 15A-15D are example tables of closest PHY rates that can be usedfor throughput estimation in the above pseudo codes.

FIG. 16 is an example table for mapping between estimated link rate(throughput) and user instruction, for a mesh point operating in aparticular frequency band. Specifically, with the results from the aboveTPUT estimation techniques, the software application running on theuser's device together with existing mesh points can provide automatedguidance to the user with regard to the location of installing theadditional mesh point. Shown in FIG. 16 is an example for guiding a userwith Apple iPhone 6 for installing a mesh point that is to operate inthe 5 GHz frequency band. The example table may be used to generateinstructions in the user interfaces shown in FIGS. 7A-7E.

FIG. 17A is an example table for mapping between estimated link rate(throughput) and wireless network coverage, and FIG. 17B is analternative example that implements a hysteresis mechanism for mappingbetween estimated link rate and wireless network coverage. The tristatemechanism illustrated in FIG. 17B is merely an example, as more or fewerstates may be used. Specifically, with the results from the above TPUTestimation techniques, the software application running on the user'sdevice together with existing mesh points can also provide wirelessnetwork coverage survey to discover dead spots or to verify themitigation thereof. The examples in FIGS. 17A-17B may be used togenerate instructions in the user interfaces shown in FIGS. 5A-5D.

Roaming in a Wireless Mesh Network

Traditionally, wireless network clients (e.g., user devices 130 a-130 n)only start roaming when the measured RSSI value drops below apredetermined threshold. This mechanism can be ineffective in somescenarios, for example, when the link to the Internet is not functional,and yet the client does not roam to another nearby access point that hasa functional link. In addition, the RSSI value of access point measuredby the client is not a good estimation of the quality of the wirelesslink as the link is typically asymmetric (e.g., because the transmissionpower of an access point is usually higher than the client'stransmission power).

Accordingly, the disclosed wireless mesh network can measure one or moreparameters in addition to the RSSI value to better determine when andhow to roam a client. Some examples of the parameters include: the datarate being currently used, packet aggregate size, packet error rate(PER), retry count, available airtime, and delay on the link. Withsimultaneous reference to flow chart 2100 illustrated in FIG. 21, anexample method for performing roaming decision in a mesh network arefurther discussed below. The method can be implemented and performed bya controlling entity of the mesh network in conjunction with thesoftware application that runs on the user device (e.g., device 130 a)and the mesh points. Depending on the embodiments, the controllingentity may be centralized (e.g., on the main mesh point 112 a, FIG. 1A),distributed among the mesh points (e.g., on mesh points 112 a-112 n,FIG. 1A), and/or remotely controllable (e.g., via a remote server thatis in the WAN IP Network 120).

Specifically, in one or more implementations, when a particular clientis associated with a certain mesh point, other mesh points can alsomeasure the RSSI value, TX data rate, and PER from the particular client(Step 2102). Depending on the embodiment, the decision flow formeasuring these values can be performed in a simultaneous or a staggeredfashion. For example, in some embodiments, the RSSI value, TX data rate,and PER can be measured together simultaneously to collectivelydetermine wither to trigger the next step. In some other embodiments,one of the values (e.g., RSSI) can be first measured against a certainthreshold, then another value is compared another threshold, and soforth, until all of the values are compared and together determine thatthe next step should be proceeded. In addition or as an alternative tocomparing all the values, some implementation can compare only a selectnumber of values or give weight to a certain value in determiningwhether to proceed to the next step.

A number of embodiments can determine when roaming is to take placebased on information gathered from both the mesh point that the clientis currently associated with and the mesh point(s) that the client isnot currently associated with. Roaming of the particular client toanother mesh point can take place, for example, when the existing linkquality is deemed insufficient and it is estimated that there exist abetter link for the client to connect (Step 2104). To avoid roaming toofrequently and potentially wasting excessive resource on takingmeasurements, a timer mechanism can be implemented (Step 2106), suchthat only when a link quality problem persists then is the next step inthe roaming mechanism triggered. The better link may be a different meshpoint, or it may be a different band on same mesh point. Because it isobserved that a single sample of RSSI value may not be an accuratemeasurement (e.g., because of multi-path fading), one or moreembodiments are to average RSSI values over packets. Some embodimentscan also detect the Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) of the packet todetermine what offset value may have been used.

In some examples, similar to what is described above regarding link rateestimation, different mapping can be formulated from client statistics(e.g., RSSI value, PHY rate, etc.) on the frequency band of use in orderto estimate what the anticipated RSSI would be on another frequency bandto which client may connect, and/or on another mesh point to which theclient may be able to connect. In certain embodiments, a mapping can bestored (e.g., at each mesh point) in the mesh network. The mapping canbe used for mapping the data measured from the client to an estimatedPHY link quality.

If the link quality problem persists, the mesh network starts to compilea list of potential roaming candidates by starting to monitor thequality of potential links from other mesh points (Step 2108). The listof candidate is calculated based on PHY parameters, such as data rate,RSSI value, etc., and the list can be used to determine the bestcandidate for roaming clients. For example, similar to the rateestimation techniques described above, test packets can be sent (Step2110), and a potential link rate may be determined (e.g., by uplink RSSIand/or other parameters observed on other mesh points in proximity)(Step 2112). Depending on the embodiment, the list can be maintained bythe controlling entity, which may be scattered among the mesh points(e.g., in a decentralized fashion) or can be centralized (e.g., in themain mesh point). Example of the parameters that may be taken intoaccount for deciding the best roaming candidate include: a list ofclients of each candidate already associated with and how much aggregatetraffic is between each candidate and its clients; the type of trafficsupported by the candidate (e.g., voice, video, data, etc.); theinterference and noise level surrounding the candidate; and the type oftraffic that the client who may roam uses.

If there is a suitable candidate (Step 2114), for example, when thepotential link to the candidate is better than the current link by acertain degree (e.g., X dB), then the roaming takes place (Step 2118).Otherwise, another timer mechanism can be implemented (Step 2116) beforethe roaming decision flow chart can be run again, such that the systemcan avoid perform roaming at an unnecessarily high frequency. Whenroaming takes place, depending on the type of roaming method used, theremay be a period of down time during which the WLAN connection isunavailable. Therefore, certain embodiments disclosed herein can measureand keep record of this period of down time, and take into account thisroaming overhead in future roaming decision (e.g., for the particularclient or for the particular type of client). In some examples, a tableor a database that records a default roaming time for each type ofcommonly seen devices can be utilized. Additionally, depending on thetime and type of roaming, the execution of a decision to roam a clientcan be delayed if the client has ongoing data traffic that is delaysensitive (e.g., if a minimum level of QoS is active for the type ofdata traffic). Moreover, if the roaming down time exceeds a certainthreshold, the mesh network may choose to utilize a time during whichthe client is inactive for roaming.

The mesh network (e.g., the controlling entity thereof) can causeroaming of a client in several ways. If the client does not supportintelligent roaming commands (e.g., those described in IEEE 802.11v and802.11r), the mesh network can force the client to roam by disconnectingthe client (e.g., with Deauthentication and/or Disassociation managementframes). The mesh network may determine the client type and may providea disconnect reason to the client. However, generally speaking,disconnecting a client is undesirable because after disconnection, it isuncertain whether the client would try to reconnect back to the network.In some embodiments, if the disconnected client attempts to connect backto the mesh point or the frequency band that the controlling entitydetermines to be less desirable, the controlling entity can cause themesh network not respond to the association request. Additionally oralternatively, the controlling entity may keep a timer for the client,such that in the case that the disconnected client keeps requesting toconnect to an inferior mesh node or frequency band, the mesh network mayeventually allow the client to connect after the timer expires, so asnot to leave the client with no connection at all.

If the client supports intelligent roaming commands, then the meshnetwork can use roaming commands to enable pre-roaming clientmeasurement, and can use such kind of commands to communication with theclient to suggest the roaming. However, it is recognized in the presentdisclosure that the support of these intelligent roaming commands may beclient implementation dependent and not universal, sometimes even whenthe client advertises the capability to support such commands.Therefore, the controlling mechanism disclosed herein can not onlydiscover which clients have the capability for intelligent roamingcommands (e.g., during the association process), but also learn overtime which ones of these client devices are behaving as anticipated andwhich ones are not, so that the mesh network in performing roaming canadapt to a particular client's behavior.

More specifically, one or more embodiments of the mesh network can learnover time how different clients behave and can adjust its roaminginstruction and behavior accordingly. Depending on the implementation,this historical data can be maintained based on the client's MACaddress, association identifier (AID), or any other unique identifier.The decision regarding when to roam a particular client may depend onthe client's observed behavior. For example, if the client in the pasthas a history of not following the anticipated roaming behaviorresponsive to a roaming command, then the mesh network can decide toonly roam the particular client when there is a substantial performancedrop (e.g., below a more significant threshold than a regular,roaming-friendly client) and similarly, in some embodiments, the meshnetwork can choose not to roam the particular client even if the clientcan receive a better WLAN link performance with another mesh point oranother band on same mesh point. Similar to described above, roamingdecision may depend on the traffic type or the dominant traffic type ofa specific client. Additionally or alternatively, roaming decision maydepend on the roaming delay that a particular client has in moving fromone mesh point to another mesh point, or from one frequency band toanother frequency band on same mesh point. The mesh network is able tolearn over time which roaming mechanism (e.g., IEEE 802.11v/k/rbehaviors) works the best for each client based on how the client hasroamed earlier. In addition to mitigating the aforementioneddisconnection issue, the benefit of intelligent roaming includes, forexample, faster channel scanning, higher efficiency in WLAN “air time”(since fewer probe requests and probe responses are needed, there ismore bandwidth for the rest of the network; and reduced client powerconsumption (since fewer active scans are needed).

In a number of implementations, the mesh network's roaming commandssupport the BSS Transition Management (BTM) for network assistedroaming, described in IEEE 802.11v standards for wireless networkmanagement. In general, BTM allows steering the client seamlessly evenwhen there is ongoing traffic. One or more embodiments of the meshnetwork can use the following packets for roaming: BSS TransitionManagement Request (AP to client); BSS Transition Management Response(Client to AP); and BSS Transition Management Query (Client to AP).Specifically, the BSS Transition Management Request can be used when theAP (e.g., a mesh point) offers advice to the client. This can include alist of the APs (e.g., other mesh points) to which the client canconsider associate (e.g., “Neighbor Report” information). The BSSTransition Management Response can be used for the client to accept orreject, and the client can also include a reason code for the acceptanceor rejection.

The mesh network can also perform WLAN radio measurements, as describedin IEEE 802.11k standards. Functions include the generation anddissemination of a Link Measurement report (i.e., for a client or an APto query the other side for the quality of the link), as well as aNeighbor Report (i.e., information about neighboring APs that are knowncandidates to which the client can consider roaming). Other IEEE 802.11kmeasurements supported include, for example, Beacon, Channel Load, NoiseHistogram, STA Statistics, Location Configuration Information, TransmitStream/Category Measurement, and Frame.

The mesh network can also perform fast BSS transition, as described inIEEE 802.11r standards. Without IEEE 802.11r, a mobile device client mayneed to go through reauthentication after reassociating. With IEEE802.11r, the mesh network can reestablish existing security and/or QoSparameters prior to reassociating a client to a new mesh point. Thistechnique is especially useful for real time interactive services (e.g.,voice and video communications). This can also reduce the time thatconnectivity is interrupted between a mobile client and WLANinfrastructure when that mobile client is connecting to a new meshpoint. Reauthentication time are also saved, which is especiallyprominent in a strongly secure WLAN (e.g., in an enterprise environmentwhere 802.1x and EAP methods for authentication are used).

With the above introduced roaming techniques in mind, the following arepseudo codes for roaming decisions. Similarly, these pseudo codes shouldbe customized for a specific application. For example, in one or moreembodiments, these pseudo codes may have different parameters for adifferent combination of a specific network technology (e.g., IEEE802.11n, 802.11ac) and antenna configuration (e.g., 1×1, 2×2, 3×3). Thefollowing example are pseudo codes for a force roaming decision for adevice (e.g., Apple iPhone 6) with an IEEE 802.11ac with a 1×1 antennaconfiguration, operating in 5 GHz frequency band. Note that a “forceroaming” is where the mesh network actively sends instructions to theclient or otherwise cause the client to roam (which, in some instances,may cause a connection loss).

<Start> Force Roaming Decision { If a client has not roamed recently(e.g., the past 60 seconds) {  If one of the following happens:   (If 5Gmax of RSSI of antenna ≦ −80) or   (If PHY Rate < 58) or   (If Path Rate< 10Mbps)  start roaming;  once roaming decision happens, send 20 ARPpackets;  If there are not 20 packets in the past three seconds, then  average over all new packets in past three seconds; otherwise,  average RSSI values on last 20 packets from monitor mode; } If aclient has roamed recently {  If one of the following happens:   (If 5Gmax of RSSI of antenna ≦ −84) or   (If PHY Rate < 10) or   (If Path Rate< 2Mbps)   start roaming; } } <End>

As shown in the above pseudo code, once a decision to roam a client hasstarted, the RSSI values are observed by neighboring mesh points forcandidate selection. Then, the following pseudo code can be used toestimate PHY rate based on the RSSI measured.

<Start> If RSSI > −65, then  report Path Rate Target = 351Mbps; If −65 <RSSI < −80 {  Estimated Rate = 10.29 * (RSSI + 80) + 117;  report PathRate Target = map Estimated Rate to the closet 80MHz rate; } If −80 <RSSI < −85, then  report Path Rate Target = 58Mbps; If RSSI < −80, then report Path Rate Target = 1Mbps; <End>

Now, with the path rate of the target candidates estimated, the meshnetwork decides whether to roam the client to a target candidate, and ifso, which one. An example pseudo code for such is provided as follows.

<Start> If RSSI_Original > −70 {  If Path Rate original larger than 10,then   roam if path rate target is larger than path_rate_original +30and RSSI is larger than −75;  If Path Rate original smaller than 10,then   only roam if path rate target is larger than20+path_rate_original and RSSI is larger than −80;  otherwise,   do notroam; } if −70 < RSSI_Original < −80 {  If RSSI_Target > −80, then   IfPath_rate_target>Path_Rate_original+10, then    roam;  If RSSI_Target <−80 {   If Path rate_original > 5Mbps, then    do not roam;   If Pathrate_original < 5Mbps {    If RSSI_Target<−85, then     do not roam;else,     roam if Path rate target is larger than 10+path rate original;  }  } } If RSSI_Original < −80 {  If RSSI Target > −75, then   roam tothe target with highest path rate, if destination path rate is higherthan 5Mbps;  If −75 > RSSI Target > −80, then   roam to the target withhighest path rate, if destination path rate is higher than 10Mbps;  If−85< RSSI Target < −80, then   roam to the target with highest pathrate, if destination path rate is higher than 20+current_path_rate;  IfRSSI Target < −85, then   do not roam; } <End>

Similarly, continuing with the example device, IEEE 802.11ac with a 1×1antenna configuration, operating in 5 GHz frequency band, the followingexample are pseudo codes for a soft force roaming decision for the samedevice. Note that a “soft roaming” is where the mesh network passivelyopens a roaming window to the client that allows the client to useavailable information to roam to a stronger access point.

<Start> Soft Roaming Decision { If a client has not roamed recently(e.g., the past 60 seconds) {  If one of the following happens:   (If 5Gmax of RSSI of antenna ≦ −75) or   (If PHY Rate < 117) or   (If PathRate < 20Mbps)  start checking on opening up;  once opening up decisionhappens, send 20 ARP packets;   // In some embodiments, a limitation isplaced on the frequency of   // this taking place (e.g., can be onlyonce every 60 seconds)   // Further, if a roaming window is open and theclient does not   // send a probe request, this time can be increasedfrom 60 to   // 180, and can be kept at 180 until the client sends aprobe   // request or any other request if with this condition istriggered.  If there are not 20 packets in the past three seconds, then  average over all new packets in past three seconds;  otherwise,  average RSSI values on last 20 packets from monitor mode; } <End>

The pseudo code for decision on opening up the roaming window isprovided herein as follows.

<Start> If RSSI_Original > −70 {  If Path Rate original larger than 20,then   open up roaming window if path rate target is larger thanpath_rate_original +20 and RSSI is larger than −75;  If Path Rateoriginal smaller than 20, then   open up roaming window to the best pathrate if the best path rate is higher than max(10+current path rate, 20); otherwise,   do not open up roaming window; } if −75 < RSSI_Original <−80 {  If RSSI_Target > −75, then   If Path_rate_target > 20, then   open up roaming window;   If −75 > RSSI_Target > −80, then    IfPath_rate_target >Path_Rate_original     open up roaming window;   IfRSSI Target <− 80 {    If Path rate_original > 5Mbps, then     do notopen up roaming window;    If Path rate_original < 5Mbps {     If RSSITarget<−85, then      do not open up roaming window;     otherwise,     open up roaming window;    }   } } If RSSI_Original < −80 {  IfRSSI Target > −80, then   open up roaming window if destination pathrate is higher than 10Mbps;  If RSSI Target < −80, then   do not open uproaming window; } <End>

FIGS. 18A-18B are a list of known user devices with their capabilitiesto follow or otherwise coordinate with the mesh network in performingintelligent roaming. As shown in FIG. 18A, all newer iOS devices areadvertised to support all three 802.11k, 802.11r, and 802.11v Wi-Finetwork standards. As shown in FIG. 18B, some later version of Androiddevices do support intelligent roaming, but some older version devicesmay only support 802.11r and 802.11k, but not BTM. Differentcapabilities of the devices should be factored in when adjusting theparameters in the pseudo codes.

Dedicated Backhaul Link and Fault Tolerance

FIG. 19 illustrate an example diagram showing a backhaul linkestablished between two mesh points (e.g., in the mesh network). Besidesregular WLAN services (e.g., data packet forwarding to and from thegateway and the Internet) that are provided by the mesh network toclient devices, in a number of implementations, the mesh pointsthemselves in the mesh network can utilize one or more telecommunicationcircuits to form one or more dedicated backhaul links among the meshpoints. In some examples, such backhaul links may be used to performcontrol and management functions, for example, the controlling entity toinstruct a mesh point to execute a roaming decision for a client. Inaddition or as an alternative, such backhaul links can be utilized toprovide more throughput, and/or to provide fault tolerance to the meshnetwork (e.g., to provide redundancy against temporary interference,etc.). With simultaneous reference to flow charts 2200, 2230, and 2250illustrated in FIGS. 22A-22C, example methods for performing switchingand selection of dedicated backhaul in a mesh network are furtherdiscussed below. These methods can be implemented and performed by acontrolling entity of the mesh network in conjunction with the softwareapplication that runs on the user device (e.g., device 130 a) and themesh points. Depending on the embodiments, the controlling entity may becentralized (e.g., on the main mesh point 112 a, FIG. 1A), distributedamong the mesh points (e.g., on mesh points 112 a-112 n, FIG. 1A),and/or remotely controllable (e.g., via a remote server that is in theWAN IP Network 120).

More specifically, in some embodiments, the mesh points may be equippedwith one or more of: a powerline communication circuit (e.g., HomePlug™1.0, AV, or AV2 compliant), a dedicated 5 GHz radio circuit, and/or asub-1 GHz radio circuit, for purposes of establishing the dedicatedbackhaul link. Moreover, some embodiments provide the capability tocombine the general purpose 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WLAN radios with dedicatedbackhaul circuits to form different parts of the mesh network. Forexample, two mesh points may be connected using powerline while anothertwo mesh points may be connected using the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz WLAN radio.Fault tolerance mechanisms are built in to the system such that, forexample, when the dedicated link is not functioning or when theperformance of dedicated link is significantly below the 2.4 GHz or 5GHz radio that device uses to communicate to client, the bestcommunication link can be used as the backhaul link.

Link measurement techniques, which are described above, can be utilizedhere to measure or estimate the performance of the current dedicatedbackhaul link as well as other possible link options, to enable theselection of the best suitable backhaul link. Flow chart 2200 shows anexample method for evaluating current backhaul to determine whetherswitching to an alternative backhaul is desirable. The method starts bymonitoring and measuring the current backhaul. If there are already datapackets in communication (Step 2202), then measurement can be performedon the existing data packets (Step 2204). If there is no or not enoughactive data communication, then, similar to the rate estimationtechniques described above, test packets can be sent for the measurementof backhaul performance (Step 2206).

Then, the link speed of the backhaul can be measured by using, forexample, the aforementioned rate estimation techniques. For example, TXrate, RSSI, and PER can be measured to perform rate estimation on thecurrent backhaul (Step 2208). Thereafter, the estimated rate is comparedto a quality threshold specific for the type of the backhaul that iscurrently used (Step 2210). Similar to what has been described above,the function for rate estimation for the backhaul and the qualitythreshold may vary based on the type of the backhaul (e.g., Powerline,sub-1G, and/or 5G), If the estimated rate in the current backhaul isbelow a quality threshold expected in the type of the backhaul, then thespecific mesh point starts to seek for a better backhaul (Step 2212). Ifthe estimated rate is acceptable (e.g., above the quality threshold),then at least temporarily there is no need to switch the backhaul (Step2214). The method can be executed from time to time, for example, every60 minutes, can be triggered by events such as a predetermined number oflosses in mesh network specific controlling packets sent via thebackhaul within a certain period, or can be triggered by any othersuitable mechanism.

Flow chart 2230 is an example method for finding an alternativebackhaul. When the mesh point determines that an alternative backhaul isdesirable, it starts to measure and evaluate other backhaul channels(Step 2232). Similar to the method illustrated in flow chart 2200, TXrate, RSSI and PER numbers can be measured on the alternative backhaul(Step 2232). Additionally, the Internet speed or a target transmissionrate (discussed above) can be taken into consideration. If the estimatedrate of an alternative backhaul is not larger than the current backhaulby a certain amount (Step 2234), then the alternative is only consideredas a secondary backhaul (Step 2236) (e.g., because the benefit ofswitching is fairly limited). However, if the estimated rate of analternative backhaul is larger than the current backhaul by a certainamount (Step 2234), then an absolute value is compared to the estimatedrate of the alternative backhaul (Step 2238). Again, if the estimatedrate of the alternative backhaul is not larger than an absolute amount,the alternative is only considered as a secondary backhaul (Step 2236).If the estimated rate of the alternative backhaul passes the twocriteria described above, then the current backhaul can be switched tothis alternative backhaul (Step 2240).

In one or more embodiments, link speeds between different mesh points aswell as several other parameters can also be used to determine the bestmesh topology. These parameters can include: the number of clients thatare connected to each mesh point and the amount of traffic they have;the communication frequency band that is used by the clients and suchfrequency's potential effect on the backhaul channel; external networkinterference and noise on the backhaul channel; delay and jitterrequirements for the traffic type that each client is supporting; thecoexistence of backhaul channel(s) with the Internet service; and thecoexistence of backhaul channel with clients.

As mentioned, in some cases, a combination of different backhauls may beused between two mesh points. As such, certain embodiments provide thatthe backhaul link may be aggregated on the MAC or the transport layer.In addition, different backhauls may be used for different clients. Morespecifically, the dedicated backhaul technique introduced herein can beaggregated with other available communication links. Example aggregationmay include, but not limited to: powerline and 2.4G; powerline and 5G;powerline, 2.4 and 5G; Sub1G and 2.4G; Sub1G and 5G; Sub1G, 2.4G and 5G;dedicated backhaul 5 GHz and general purpose 2.4 GHz; dedicated backhaul5 GHz and general purpose 5 GHz; dedicated backhaul 5 GHz, generalpurpose 2.4 GHz and general purpose 5 GHz; and so forth. In variations,routing can be used for link aggregation purposes. For example,different communication links may be of different subnet/Virtual LAN(VLAN), but can either use static routing or dynamic routing toaggregate over different bridge links. In some embodiments thatimplement dynamic routing, known routing strategies such as equal-costrouting can be used; alternatively, a proper ratio of cost may beassigned over each bridge link.

Further, embodiments disclosed here can utilize Layer 2 aggregation whenpossible for backhaul links. In some examples, a spanning tree protocol(STP) can be used to avoid loops in the redundant paths in the network.The STP priority may be used to give priority depending on channelcondition, traffic, and QoS parameters. The Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol(which is described in the IEEE 802.1w standards) can also be used.Other example link aggregation mechanisms that can be used in the meshnetwork backhaul links include: Multi Path TCP (when TCP aggregation ispossible); IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), andPort Aggregation Protocol (PAgP).

Note that, for the embodiments that utilize powerline communication asdedicated backhaul, the TPUT of the backhaul as well as the Internet'scondition need to be more closely monitored, since a lot of interferenceissues may occur in such powerline communication, and in some instances,such communication may even interfere with home digital subscriber line(DSL) Internet connection (e.g., as a result of the phone and electriccables being too closely located in the environment). If using powerlinecommunication has an observable adverse effect on DSL or other Internetconnection, the duty cycle of the powerline can be limited, or in someimplementations, powerline communication may be avoided in the entirety.

Various frequency band in sub-1 GHz may be also be used for backhaullinks in the mesh network to extend the range. Examples include 902-928MHz in the United States, and 433.05-434.79 MHz and 863-870 MHz inEurope. In some embodiments, IEEE 802.11ah can be used for sub-1Gcommunications. Additionally or alternatively, IEEE 802.15.4 can beused. In yet another alternative, it is possible to convert an existingIEEE 802.11ac/n/g/a chipset to operate in a sub-1G frequency band. Incertain cases, if the sub-1G frequency band is not available in acountry or if there is too much interference or noise in the sub-1Gband, the fault tolerant mechanism can fall back to 2.4G/5G, powerlineor other available backhaul links.

In some implementations, a dedicated 5 GHz radio is used as thededicated backhaul. Specifically, 5 GHz ISM band is a relatively widefrequency band and, as a result, with proper hardware and softwaredesign, it is possible to place more than one radio in 5 GHz in a singledevice without creating unacceptably large interference. One of suchexample is shown in FIG. 19. In such cases, a part of 5 GHz frequencyband can be dedicated for backhaul purposes. Nonetheless, the meshnetwork can still monitor the noise and interference in the frequencyband by checking the link statistics, and switch off to other availableback-up channels when proper.

Note that, in selecting the backhaul, a general hierarchy may beobserved to avoid disruption. Moreover, generally speaking, it ispreferable to not use general purpose wireless communication resources(i.e., that are used for servicing data traffic from and to the clients)for backhaul purposes. Flow chart 2250 is an example method forimplementing a backhaul selection hierarchy. In the illustrated example,first, only if the current backhaul is underperforming (e.g., dropsbelow a certain threshold) (Step 2252) then is an alternative backhaulconsidered. Otherwise, the mesh point may continue to use the currentbackhaul (Step 2254). If the alternative backhaul is better than thethreshold, then the alternative backhaul can be used (Step 2258). On theother hand, only if all alternative backhauls are also underperformingthen is the general purpose wireless resource (i.e., client facingresource) considered. If the client facing resource can provide a ratethat is more than a second threshold (Step 2262), then the mesh pointcan utilize a select portion of the client facing resource as thebackhaul. Note that the second threshold may be different from the firstthreshold. In one example, since the client facing resource then wouldbe serving both front end and back end traffic, the second threshold ishigher than the first threshold. If the client facing resource cannotsatisfy the second threshold, then the mesh point can indicate (e.g., onthe software application) that it has a bad backhaul (Step 2266).

With the techniques introduced herein, including automated mesh pointsurvey and guided installation for assisting the installation andconfiguration of a wireless mesh network, link rate estimation, roaming,and dedicated backhaul link implementation in such wireless meshnetwork, the present disclosure provides an integral solution wheremultiple wireless local area network (WLAN) mesh point devices aredeployed in a relatively large environment with potential dead spots,such as a home or an office.

CONCLUSION

Unless contrary to physical possibility, it is envisioned that (i) themethods/steps described above may be performed in any sequence and/or inany combination, and that (ii) the components of respective embodimentsmay be combined in any manner.

The techniques introduced above can be implemented by programmablecircuitry programmed/configured by software and/or firmware, or entirelyby special-purpose circuitry, or by a combination of such forms. Suchspecial-purpose circuitry (if any) can be in the form of, for example,one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs),programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays(FPGAs), etc.

Software or firmware to implement the techniques introduced here may bestored on a machine-readable storage medium and may be executed by oneor more general-purpose or special-purpose programmable microprocessors.A “machine-readable medium”, as the term is used herein, includes anymechanism that can store information in a form accessible by a machine(a machine may be, for example, a computer, network device, cellularphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), manufacturing tool, any devicewith one or more processors, etc.). For example, a machine-accessiblemedium can include recordable/non-recordable media (e.g., read-onlymemory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media,optical storage media, flash memory devices, etc.).

Note that any and all of the embodiments described above can be combinedwith each other, except to the extent that it may be stated otherwiseabove or to the extent that any such embodiments might be mutuallyexclusive in function and/or structure.

Although the present invention has been described with reference tospecific exemplary embodiments, it will be recognized that the inventionis not limited to the embodiments described, but can be practiced withmodification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regardedin an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method using an externaluser device to estimate an internal data rate in a wireless mesh networkformed with one or more mesh points, the method comprising:establishing, by a mobile application on a user device of a user, awireless communication with a first mesh point; causing the first meshpoint to initiate a network traffic from the first mesh point to theuser device, the network traffic including a predetermined amount oftest data; performing, on the user device, a set of performance qualitymetrics on the network traffic from the first mesh point to the userdevice; and estimating, by the mobile application, a throughput of thewireless mesh network based on comparing results of the set ofperformance quality metrics with a device-specific set of performancestatistics.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated throughputrepresents an estimated performance of the wireless mesh network with asecond mesh point after installing the second mesh point at athen-current location of the user device.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the device-specific set of performance statistics is profiledfor a device using characteristics of the device.
 4. The method of claim1, wherein the mesh points each are configured to generate thepredetermined amount of test data upon instructed.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the predetermined amount of test data is large enoughfor a data rate regulating mechanism in a wireless communicationprotocol to converge.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the wirelesscommunication protocol is IEEE 802.11 compliant.
 7. The method of claim1, wherein the predetermined amount of test data is larger than anamount of data that is contained in a ping packet.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the throughput is estimated based on mappingperformance of the user device to performance of a mesh point on allavailable frequency bands.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein thethroughput is estimated based on mapping of performance on one frequencyband of the user device to performance on another frequency band of theuser device.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the throughput of thewireless mesh network is estimated based on each of a plurality ofthroughputs between all pairs of mesh points in the wireless meshnetwork and a measured physical layer data rate on the user device. 11.The method of claim 1, wherein the set of performance quality metricsincludes: a physical layer data rate; and a received signal strengthindicator.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the physical layer datarate includes a transmission data rate and a receiving data rate. 13.The method of claim 11, further comprising: detecting an amount ofinterference, including collision and noise; and adjusting the estimatedthroughput based on the detected amount of interference.
 14. The methodof claim 1, further comprising: adjusting the performance qualitymetrics based on one or more of: temporary fluctuation,multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability of the user device, ora thermal compensation coefficient specific to the user device.
 15. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the device-specific set of performancestatistics is profiled for a device using characteristics of the device,including one or more of: a phone model, a configuration of antennas, afrequency band used in said wireless communication, a network technologysupported by the device, or a modulation scheme used in said wirelesscommunication.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the configuration ofantennas include: 1×1, 2×2, and/or 4×4.
 17. The method of claim 15,wherein the frequency band includes 2.4G and/or 5G.
 18. The method ofclaim 15, wherein the modulation scheme includes BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM,64-QAM, and/or 256-QAM.
 19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:generating a corresponding locational instruction and/or a correspondingindication of wireless network coverage based on the estimatedthroughput.
 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the test data is sentusing packets that are aggregated.